Cleared for Release from U.S. Prison in Afghanistan, but not Allowed to Leave

[The Straight Story]

Cleared for Release from U.S. Prison in Afghanistan, but not Allowed to Leave

The United States is continuing to imprison detainees in Afghanistan who have been ordered freed by review boards.

More than 40 individuals from various countries other than Afghanistan remain at the Bagram detention facility. Of these, at least a dozen, from Yemen, Pakistan, Kuwait, Germany and Tunisia, have been cleared for release by Detainee Review Boards. Yet, lawyers representing the detainees say their clients are not being released. Because no official reasons are given for their continued detention, observers are left to speculate about the cause of the delays.

Some think that the Bagram problem is associated with a similar situation at Guantánamo, where almost 90 prisoners have been approved for release or transfer to their home country, but remain in custody anyway.

In the cases, of those awaiting release who are from Yemen, where the fight against al-Qaeda continues, the Obama administration has been reluctant to return the prisoners because it has been wary of the Yemeni government’s ability to keep watch on repatriated detainees….And that was before widespread demonstrations broke out against Yemen’s dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Cleared_for_Release_from_US_Prison_in_Afghanistan_but_not_Allowed_to_Leave_110407